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Summary:
Schema markup is a free, simple yet comprehensive way website owners can convey the content of their website to major search engines like Google.
We are going to answer the most common schema questions, and offer you some additional insights you will find only rarely elsewhere. Let jump right into it.
Schema markup is a free, simple yet comprehensive way website owners can convey the content of their website to major search engines like Google.
By using simple tools like schema markup code generators and validators (see links below), website owners now have they ability to easily offer a "push" method when communicating their content to these search engines.
Schema markup codes often include information such as when the website was last published, who owns the site, any brands or companies affiliated with the site, actions that website may take such as "search" or "purchase" etc. Think of schema markup as if it were an expanded and extensive series of meta tags.
To give additional context to the relationship between schema to web development. It's good to have some understanding on the 2 fundamental interaction types between websites and search engines:
To determine, and ultimately deliver the ideal search results to each search query, search engines must rely on 2 methods of communication with website owners. These 2 methods are know as "push" and "pull".
Website owners play the "push" role, and search engines play the "pull" role.
The act or practicing of "pushing" is the delivery (or at least conveyance) of information to a search engine for the purpose of informing the search engine as to the content of the website.
An organized and properly implemented series of website meta tags, is an example of "pushing" information to search engines.
The outdated yet still-practiced seo-tactic of keyword stuffing is an example of "pushing" information to search engines.
"Pulling" is the seeking, finding & collecting of information from a website by a search engine for the purpose of identifying the content of the website.
The indexing/crawling of Google's bot on a website in order to gather it's contents, is an example of "pulling" information from websites.
Schema markup is an extensive form of "push". Schema markup is a simple code that is embed in websites. These codes are often auto-generated by CMSs or SEO tools such as Yoast who uses the term "structured data", to explain this feature they offer, as a schema markup is a form of structured data.
Schema markup, unfortunately, can be used for the purpose of mis-representing website content to search engines.
For example, a schema markup code may have an extensive makeup, essentially making the claim the the website contains information about this subject, that subject etc, when it does not actually contain that information. This is form of black-hat or "dirty" SEO practices, of which of course search engines will inevitably become wise to, and to Google's SEO shit-list you go. Don't try this. You are not going to out-smart Google.
The best way to conceptualize structured data, and all "push" SEO practices in general, is to think of it was a way of simply "conveying truthful information". Do not try to tell Google how to interpret your website. You do not have better analysis tools than them. Simple give them the information they are trying to find, and allow them to run their analysis.
Convey the truth, and lets to results speak for themselves. Respond to the results as you need to. But never deliver false information. Schema markup codes should only represent the content of the website, nothing more. Ask yourself for each schema field you use, "Can a viewer find this information on my website", and if the answer is "no", remove it from your schema, or add it to your website.
JSON is the most common, and search engine-preferred schema markup coding language. Be sure you use a valid JSON format.
https://gist.github.com/JakeLabate/281f3c5977312cded0482c849c22d842
Note the changes in the code directly below from the code directly above. Changes include:
- Adding <script type="application/ld+json"> before the start of the JSON code, to instruct web browsers to read the following code a in a JSON format
- Adding the "@context": "https://schema.org/", field to provide the context of the JSON code
- Adding the "@type": "WebSite", field to give content to what type of schema markup is being portrayed. Find full list of schema markup types here.
- Adding the utilization of both schema hierarchies & schema lists. This is somewhat self-explanatory in the cases used here.
- Adding </script> at the end of the JSON to inform browsers to return to their default website reading method (usually plain HTML)
https://gist.github.com/JakeLabate/a1d3bc93a29bc601c6039e0bde5c1570
https://gist.github.com/JakeLabate/23cd15c59f6825f62613e30cef3dee9c
Run through these links in order, they will give you each tool you need every step of the way. All tools here are 100% free.
Google Chrome Schema Extension
For the beginner, this is BY FAR the best schema building tool we are aware of. We have done a bit of research on it as well. Although it does not support the creation of all types of schema items, nor does it support all schema fields available within those items, this tool does a great job of offering all the major components in 1 place.
This is a simple JSON validator. Copy and paste your JSON schema markup code into the box, and hit "Validate JSON". You will be either affirmed that your JSON is formated & styled correctly, or you will be shown where your errors are located, and how to resolve them.
Schema Validator by schema.org
Not only does your final code need to be a valid JSON in order to be reap the benefits from search engines, but those search engines also need to be able to recognize the purpose of that JSON code. They need to recognize that it is a schema markup code! This tool from schema.org will allow you to test any public URL or copy and paste a JSON code into the validator to confirm that your code can be recognized as a valid schema markup code.
This link is Google's version of a schema markup test. Both public URLs and copy/pasted JSON codes may be tested.
https://search.google.com/test/rich-results/result?id=OPbzl4B5DRtRYAavVu87SQ
This is is the validation of the Labate "Website" schema markup code featured above. This may be used for a reference.
Nothing gets developers more aggitaged than sloppy code (the good ones anyway). Here is a tool that automatically cleans up and re-structures your JSON, making it more readable when you copy and paste the code into your website. Just be sure you copy the result generated below, and not the same result you imputed above)
The official home of Schema.
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